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Building Energy and Environment

A special issue of Energies (ISSN 1996-1073). This special issue belongs to the section "G: Energy and Buildings".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (28 February 2022) | Viewed by 13304

Special Issue Editor

Green Energy Technology Research Center, Kongju National University, Cheonan, Chungnam 330-717, Korea

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Building energy and environment is an important research area that is aimed towards decreasing the energy consumption and greenhouse gas emissions related to building construction and service life. Building energy can be dealt with by minimizing energy use (passive strategy, green remodelling, highly efficient systems and facilities, etc.) and sustainably covering the energy load (renewable energy integration, energy balancing, building energy management system, etc.).

Furthermore, building energy use is also connected to the indoor environment. Most people spend time in buildings for domestic, commercial, leisure, and recreational activities. It is therefore related not only to the building energy, but also human health and comfort. Effective methods and solutions towards balancing these issues are very significant.

This Special Issue is focused on advanced methods, strategies, and solutions in the building energy and environment field.

Dr. Jin-Hee Kim
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Energies is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2600 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Published Papers (6 papers)

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Research

16 pages, 3185 KiB  
Article
Examining the Impact of Energy Price Volatility on Commodity Prices from Energy Supply Chain Perspectives
by Hokey Min
Energies 2022, 15(21), 7957; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/en15217957 - 26 Oct 2022
Cited by 8 | Viewed by 2561
Abstract
Oil has historically been the most significant primary energy source for our daily lives and business activities. However, recent skyrocketing oil prices have been one of the greatest concerns among policymakers, business executives, and the general public due to their impacts on daily [...] Read more.
Oil has historically been the most significant primary energy source for our daily lives and business activities. However, recent skyrocketing oil prices have been one of the greatest concerns among policymakers, business executives, and the general public due to their impacts on daily necessities, including food, clothing, and automobile transportation. As a result, fast-rising inflation on the global scale is attributed to mounting oil prices. Even though many countries have made a conscious effort to tame oil prices and the subsequent inflation, their efforts are often in vain due to some uncontrollable situations. These situations include the ongoing war between Ukraine and Russia, where Russia began weaponizing its oil resources and limiting oil supplies to its neighboring European countries. Faced with the current energy crisis, a growing number of policymakers and business executives have attempted to develop energy-induced risk mitigation strategies. With this in mind, the primary purpose of this paper is to investigate what may have caused oil price hikes and to determine how significantly oil prices influence commodity prices. This paper then proposes ways to mitigate energy-induced supply chain risks by analyzing four decades of secondary data obtained from multiple sources. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Building Energy and Environment)
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23 pages, 4548 KiB  
Article
Optimising Electrical Power Supply Sustainability Using a Grid-Connected Hybrid Renewable Energy System—An NHS Hospital Case Study
by Fadi Kahwash, Basel Barakat, Ahmad Taha, Qammer H. Abbasi and Muhammad Ali Imran
Energies 2021, 14(21), 7084; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/en14217084 - 29 Oct 2021
Cited by 9 | Viewed by 2394
Abstract
This study focuses on improving the sustainability of electrical supply in the healthcare system in the UK, to contribute to current efforts made towards the 2050 net-zero carbon target. As a case study, we propose a grid-connected hybrid renewable energy system (HRES) for [...] Read more.
This study focuses on improving the sustainability of electrical supply in the healthcare system in the UK, to contribute to current efforts made towards the 2050 net-zero carbon target. As a case study, we propose a grid-connected hybrid renewable energy system (HRES) for a hospital in the south-east of England. Electrical consumption data were gathered from five wards in the hospital for a period of one year. PV-battery-grid system architecture was selected to ensure practical execution through the installation of PV arrays on the roof of the facility. Selection of the optimal system was conducted through a novel methodology combining multi-objective optimisation and data forecasting. The optimisation was conducted using a genetic algorithm with two objectives (1) minimisation of the levelised cost of energy and (2) CO2 emissions. Advanced data forecasting was used to forecast grid emissions and other cost parameters at two year intervals (2023 and 2025). Several optimisation simulations were carried out using the actual and forecasted parameters to improve decision making. The results show that incorporating forecasted parameters into the optimisation allows to identify the subset of optimal solutions that will become sub-optimal in the future and, therefore, should be avoided. Finally, a framework for choosing the most suitable subset of optimal solutions was presented. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Building Energy and Environment)
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17 pages, 6839 KiB  
Article
Contaminant Source Identification from Finite Sensor Data: Perron–Frobenius Operator and Bayesian Inference
by Himanshu Sharma, Umesh Vaidya and Baskar Ganapathysubramanian
Energies 2021, 14(20), 6729; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/en14206729 - 15 Oct 2021
Viewed by 1219
Abstract
Sensors in the built environment ensure safety and comfort by tracking contaminants in the occupied space. In the event of contaminant release, it is important to use the limited sensor data to rapidly and accurately identify the release location of the contaminant. Identification [...] Read more.
Sensors in the built environment ensure safety and comfort by tracking contaminants in the occupied space. In the event of contaminant release, it is important to use the limited sensor data to rapidly and accurately identify the release location of the contaminant. Identification of the release location will enable subsequent remediation as well as evacuation decision-making. In previous work, we used an operator theoretic approach—based on the Perron–Frobenius (PF) operator—to estimate the contaminant concentration distribution in the domain given a finite amount of streaming sensor data. In the current work, the approach is extended to identify the most probable contaminant release location. The release location identification is framed as a Bayesian inference problem. The Bayesian inference approach requires considering multiple release location scenarios, which is done efficiently using the discrete PF operator. The discrete PF operator provides a fast, effective and accurate model for contaminant transport modeling. The utility of our PF-based Bayesian inference methodology is illustrated using single-point release scenarios in both two and three-dimensional cases. The method provides a fast, accurate, and efficient framework for real-time identification of contaminant source location. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Building Energy and Environment)
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12 pages, 5005 KiB  
Article
Simulation and Performance Analysis of Air-Type PVT Collector with Interspaced Baffle-PV Cell Design
by Jong-Gwon Ahn, Ji-Suk Yu, Fred Edmond Boafo, Jin-Hee Kim and Jun-Tae Kim
Energies 2021, 14(17), 5372; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/en14175372 - 29 Aug 2021
Cited by 6 | Viewed by 1707
Abstract
A Photovoltaic Thermal (PVT) collector produces heat and electricity simultaneously. Air-type PVT collector uses air as a transfer medium to take heat from PV back side surface. The performance of the air-type PVT collector is affected by design elements such as PV types, [...] Read more.
A Photovoltaic Thermal (PVT) collector produces heat and electricity simultaneously. Air-type PVT collector uses air as a transfer medium to take heat from PV back side surface. The performance of the air-type PVT collector is affected by design elements such as PV types, inside structures in heat collecting space (baffle or fins), the shape of the air pathway, etc. In this study, an advanced air-type PVT collector was designed with curved baffles (absorber) to improve thermal performance. Within the air-type PVT collector, PV cells were arranged in an interspaced design, and the curved baffles were located in the collecting space to increase heat efficiently. The absorber received solar radiation directly and was utilized as baffles for improving thermal performance. The air-type PVT collector was fabricated and tested in an outdoor environment considering the climatic conditions of Daejeon, Republic of Korea. In addition, based on experiment parameters and data, the annual thermal and electrical performances of the system were analyzed by simulation modeling using the TRNSYS program. Thermal and electrical efficiencies were 37.1% and 6.4% (according to module area) for outdoor test conditions, respectively. Numerical and experimental results were in good agreement with an error of 4% and 0.24% for thermal and electrical efficiencies, respectively. Annual heat gain was 644 kWh th/year, and generated power was 118 kWh el/year. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Building Energy and Environment)
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19 pages, 1237 KiB  
Article
Examining the Role of Disruptive Innovation in Renewable Energy Businesses from a Cross National Perspective
by Hokey Min and Yohannes Haile
Energies 2021, 14(15), 4447; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/en14154447 - 23 Jul 2021
Cited by 5 | Viewed by 2052
Abstract
With a growing demand for safe, clean, and affordable energy, countries across the world are now seeking to create and rapidly develop renewable energy (RE) businesses. The success of these businesses often hinges on their ability to translate RE into sustainable value for [...] Read more.
With a growing demand for safe, clean, and affordable energy, countries across the world are now seeking to create and rapidly develop renewable energy (RE) businesses. The success of these businesses often hinges on their ability to translate RE into sustainable value for energy consumers and the multiple stakeholders in the energy industry. Such value includes low production costs due to an abundance of natural resources (e.g., wind, water, sunlight), and public health benefits from reduced environmental pollution. Despite the potential for value creation, many RE businesses have struggled to create affordable energy as abundant as that which is produced by traditional fossil fuels. The rationale being that traditional RE sources emanating from natural resources tend to rely on unpredictable weather conditions. Therefore, to help RE businesses deliver sustainable value, we should leverage disruptive innovation that is less dependent on natural resources. This paper is one of the first attempts to assess the impact of disruptive innovation on RE business performances based on the survey data obtained from multiple countries representing both emerging and developed economies. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Building Energy and Environment)
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11 pages, 13619 KiB  
Article
Design, Development, and Characterization of Low Distortion Advanced Semitransparent Photovoltaic Glass for Buildings Applications
by Mohammad Khairul Basher, Mohammad Nur-E Alam and Kamal Alameh
Energies 2021, 14(13), 3929; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/en14133929 - 30 Jun 2021
Cited by 5 | Viewed by 2094
Abstract
Aesthetic appearance of building-integrated photovoltaic (BIPV) products, such as semitransparent PV (STPV) glass, is crucial for their widespread adoption and contribution to the net-zero energy building (NZEB) goal. However, the visual distortion significantly limits the aesthetics of STPV glass. In this study, we [...] Read more.
Aesthetic appearance of building-integrated photovoltaic (BIPV) products, such as semitransparent PV (STPV) glass, is crucial for their widespread adoption and contribution to the net-zero energy building (NZEB) goal. However, the visual distortion significantly limits the aesthetics of STPV glass. In this study, we investigate the distortion effect of transparent periodic-micropattern-based thin-film PV (PMPV) panels available in the market. To minimize the visual distortion of such PMPV glass panel types, we design and develop an aperiodic micropattern-based PV (APMP) glass that significantly reduces visual distortion. The developed APMP glass demonstrates a haze ratio of 3.7% compared to the 10.7% of PMPV glass. Furthermore, the developed AMPV glass shows an average visible transmittance (AVT) of 58.3% which is around 1.3 times higher than that of AMPV glass (43.8%). Finally, the measured CIELAB values (L* = 43.2, a* = −1.55, b* = −2.86.) indicate that our developed AMPV glass possesses excellent color neutrality, which makes them suitable for commercial applications. Based on the characterization results, this study will have a significant impact on the areas of smart window glasses that can play a vital role in developing a sustainable environment and enhancing the aesthetical appearance of net-zero energy buildings (NZEB). Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Building Energy and Environment)
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